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Traveling to Wutaishan (or Mount Wutai)

- Written by Giorgia Borza 1 Comment

Traveling to Wutaishan

If you find yourself in Shanxi province, you can’t miss visiting Mount Wutai, located near the city of Xinzhou.

Xinzhou (忻州, Xīnzhōu) is a medium-sized city located to the north of Shanxi Province, about 90 km from Taiyuan.

Mount Wutai (literally “five plains” where 五 means “five” and 台 “flat”） is located to the east of the city of Xinzhou, in the county of Wutai, covering an area of 320 square kilometers.

The name refers to the five peaks of the mountain that, instead of being a point, have a long flat shape and are generally without trees on its surface.

Besides being a 5A attraction (the highest level rating for Chinese attractions), it is also one of the four sacred mountains for the Buddhist religion (together with Mount Emei in Sichuan, Jinhua in Anhui Province and Putuo in Zhejiang). In 2009 it was recognized by UNESCO as part of a cultural landscape heritage.

The mountain is the seat of pilgrimage on the part of believers that come from not just all parts of China, but also other Buddhist countries. [Read more…]

Traveling to Mount Mian, the cradle of the Qing Ming Festival

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Traveling to Mount Mian

One of the jewels of Shanxi Province, little known to tourists, but fundamental for the cultural heritage that it brings, is Mount Mian (绵山, Mian Shan), located 137 km south of Taiyuan.

It is here, in fact, that the Qing Ming Festival got started (清明节, Qing Ming Jie).

Mian Shan

Mian Shan, whose peaks reach an altitude of 2,566 meters, is located in Shanxi Province, and more specifically in the city of Jiexiu (介休), cradle of the origins of what is simplistically defined as the “festival of the dead” (when in reality it is much more), and its height reaches 2,566 meters.

How to get to Mian Shan

Since the city of Jiexiu is connected to the rail network, getting to Mount Mian is simple. There are two stations in the city, Jiexiu, and Jiexiu East (for the high speed line).

From Beijing, a second class ticket on a fast train leaving from the Beijing West station costs about 200 Yuan and takes 4 hours, while leaving from Taiyuan the price is around 35 Yuan, and takes less than an hour’s travel.

Once you get to Jiexiu, you’ll have to head off toward the mountain. If you arrive at the Jiexiu East station, you have the choice of getting around by either bus or taxi. [Read more…]

Traveling to Shanxi, the Province West of the mountains

- Written by Giorgia Borza 2 Comments

Traveling to Shanxi

The following guide contains a few suggestions on how to plan your trip to the province of Shanxi (literally 山西, where 山 means mountain, and 西 west: west of the mountains).

The capital of Shanxi is Taiyuan, a city that’s only two and a half hours away by fast train from the Chinese capital, Beijing. From here you can leave for various itineraries to discover this province.

Shanxi is a meeting point between old and modern, with industrialized Taiyuan, center of the coal industry, natural landscapes, and ancient caves.

As local inhabitants of the province will tell you, Shanxi boasts a long history, and has an interesting cultural heritage. If you’d like to discover it, keep reading!

Planning a trip to Shanxi

There isn’t great difficulty getting around on a trip to this province, other than a few destinations that can only be reached with a car or bus.

Starting with the premise that getting to Taiyuan is very easy both by air or high speed rail, where a ticket from Beijing costs a little less than 200 Yuan, planning your trip is easier still with Taiyuan as your starting point for getting around. [Read more…]

Living and working in Taiyuan: The complete guide

- Written by Giorgia Borza 15 Comments

Living and working in Taiyuan

This guide is a collection of resources and practical advice for living in Taiyuan, a city located in Shanxi Province. Here are the subjects we’re going to cover:

[Read more…]

The Best Hotels in Pingyao, the UNESCO World Heritage City

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Pingyao has some of the most diverse hotels in China, but choosing the right one can be a difficult. In this article, you will find a short review of some of the best hotels in the city, whatever your budget may be.

If you are interested in general tips of how to book hotels in China, you can read our recommendations here.

Reviews of Luxury Hotels (5 Star) in Pingyao

Jing’s Residence Pingyao


Jing’s Residence Pingyao is a boutique luxury hotel in the historic town of Pingyao, with 15 guestrooms. The hotel is 30 minute drive from the Pingyao Railway Station. It provides free Wi-Fi throughout and also provides free on-site car parking. The hotel features a restaurant serving western and local dishes with a bar serving a wide selection of drinks. Additionally, the hotel provides you with other amenities like luggage storage, library, shared lounge, massage, and safety deposit boxes. The staff is warm and speaks English to handle your enquiries better. Some of the places of interest close to the hotel include North First Escort, only 50 m away and Museum of the Service Guard of China, located 200 m from the hotel.

[Read more…]

The Best Hotels in Datong, the City of the Hanging Temple

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Choosing a good hotel in Datong can be a difficult task due to the large number of hotels that exist and because in Datong, many of the hotels are of doubtful quality or don’t accept foreigners. In this article, you will find a review of the best hotels in the city, whatever your budget may be.

If you are interested in the general idea of how to book hotels in China, you can read our recommendations here.

Reviews of Luxury Hotels (5 Star) in Datong

Yunzhong Yi Traditional Inn


Yunzhong Yi Traditional Inn is located at the West Side Datong Gulou West Street, and is one of best placed hotels in the area. This hotel has beautiful interiors and is in close proximity with city’s must-see attractions and is merely 5 km away from the Datong Railway Station. It offers facilities including Wi-Fi in public areas only, sight-seeing tours, a dedicated smoking area, and facilities for disabled. The hotel also provides you with airport transfers and is located 17 km from Yungang Grottoes and 25 km from Datong airport. The staff speaks fluent English and is very helpful towards guests.

[Read more…]

On celebrating Chinese New Year with a Chinese family

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Chinese New Year

This article was written by Marta Lovisolo, who studies in an high-school at Nanjing since September 2012. She lives with a Chinese family so, when she refers to her dad, mom, sister and so on she’s actually referring to the family that is hosting her.

Click here to read my interview to Marta, an insider point of view on the life of Chinese high-school students.

But I stop here. Let’s Marta do the talk! [Read more…]